Cade Reef 1500 S2

[Abunadeez]

Honestly I didn't think I would use the built in power bars because I have an Apex but I'm pretty sure I will fill my Apex and most of these power slots. I really love the side access doors, it seemed like a gimmick but I use the left side all the time. Having 20 gallons of ATO in the back of the tank and not taking up sump space is also pretty nice, I've got it filled now and I'm currently counting the days that it will last. The glass seems to be just as clear as my Waterbox, I can't tell the difference anyway. The only thing I could see the Waterbox having a leg up is mounting the lights off the back of the tank. I'll let you know how that goes.

how clear is the glass compared to a Waterbox? really thinking about pulling the trigger on the 600s2 tank

 

[midgaar]

how clear is the glass compared to a Waterbox? really thinking about pulling the trigger on the 600s2 tank

Same. Can’t see a difference.

 

[Abunadeez]

Same. Can’t see a difference.

Thx for clearing that up for me love your build

 

[lafarrow]

update?

 

[Obie77]

Just your thread and thinking of upgrading to the 1500 from my RS 350. Still liking the Cade?

 

[SaltFishTV]

Nice CADE! I have the 900 myself and one day will either get the 1500 or 1800

 

[KingTideCorals]

Beautiful tank! Loving this thread and starting to think these CADE systems may be the way I lean if and when I finally upgrade! Nicely done on keeping this updated and cant wait to see how this tank develops!

Cheers!

 

[jp_75]

Awesome looking tang! How do you their Ato It’s gravity one right?

 

[lafarrow]

Awesome looking tang! How do you their Ato It’s gravity one right?

ATO is gravity. Float switch is in return box of the sump.

 

[jp_75]

Do you like? Is it more reliable?

 

[lafarrow]

I love it. I have the 1800 so its a pretty big ATO. I only got it going in November but I have had no issues with it. I check the float each week as part of my maintenance routine. I like simple if it is available. Filling the ATO is easy for me as i just run a hose from my RODI to the tank and a couple hours later it is full.

 

[jp_75]

Sweet! I might actually pull a trigger on Cade tank than. Thx!

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Sweet! I might actually pull a trigger on Cade tank than. Thx!

Now would be the time to do it! We are running a special on the tanks currently! You receive your Rock, Salt, Sand, and Cycle Kits FREE!

Coupons and Deals

Get the best possible discounts on your favorite products from AlgaeBarn.com - You will find weekly, monthly, and "flash sale" info here!

www.algaebarn.com

 

[lafarrow]

Now would be the time to do it! We are running a special on the tanks currently! You receive your Rock, Salt, Sand, and Cycle Kits FREE!

Coupons and Deals

Get the best possible discounts on your favorite products from AlgaeBarn.com - You will find weekly, monthly, and "flash sale" info here!

www.algaebarn.com

This is the deal I got in October. Hard to beat and having it all arrive together made it a lot easier and saved me a ton in shipping etc...

 

[AlgaeBarn]

It really is a spectacular deal!

 

[oldmonk]

Equipment

Neptune Apex - I will be moving my Apex and Trident over from my frag tank. I will be adding on flow monitoring and leak detection modules.
Vectra M2 - I'm going to go Ecotech for everything that I can just to keep things universal. I picked Ecotech because they have a pretty wide array of equipment and it's plug and play battery backup. For the return pump I picked the Vectra M2. I liked the 1" return line for ease of using the Apex flow monitor (comes with 1" flow and two 1/2" flow monitors).
Vortech MP40 - I will be using two Vortech MP40 powerhead, one on each end of the tank. According to Ecotech's calculator this should be plenty for a tank my size, in fact they suggested a single MP40.
Radion XR15 - So this is where I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to do. The working plan right now is three XR15s with one or two of them rocking the Reef Bright supplemental add-ons. Each light would be mounted with its own stand on the back of the tank. I want to keep it clean and I don't like hanging lights, nor do I like the look of lights mounted on a bar spanning end to end on the tank. I have a PAR meter so I will adjust if PAR is not where it needs to be or if I receive insightful feedback here.
Maxspect Aeraqua Duo AD600 - This is the skimmer I've chosen. I don't have a good reason why I picked this but it's DC pumps, got good reviews, looks sleek, and is fairly priced. I have ZERO experience with skimmers so I'm open to feedback on this.
Kessil H80 Tuna Flora - Refugium light on a gooseneck stand. I have ZERO experience with a refugium also.
Versa - 2-4 Versa pumps for dosing, adding as needed.

Plan

This will be a multi month build for a couple of reasons. Firstly, budget concerns. I had to dip into my savings to purchase this tank and with the list of equipment above I will easily double the cost of the tank in equipment. I'm hoping to have this coral ready by January/February. Secondly, nothing happens fast in a reef tank. I figure if I take my time I can look for good deals on pricing, get to learn the equipment with low to no risk, maintain stable water perms, and get a good population of bacteria and pods. All this without risking any fish or coral health.

I will be starting with live sand and dry rock, most likely Marco rock foundation and shelf but the STAX rock looks good too. I like the negative space aquascape to some degree but not to the extent of the BRS360. I'm thinking more like bonsai tree looking shelves, we'll see what I can come up with. I'd love some input on this as well.

The sump - I've never had a sump before but I'm thinking I will use the media filter section for the skimmer. I'd use the skimmer/reactor section for macro algae, Cheeto. I'm open to ideas or suggestions on this.

Live Stock - For sure I will have a pair of clowns, a goby, mandarin, and a tang gang. Keeping as much SPS and I can make light for at the top half of the tank and LSP/Soft corals near the bottom. Mixed reef all the way. Anything else will be at will with the goal of trying to keep it diverse but peaceful.

Timeline

The goal here is to spend no more than $1000 per month. October is special because I have an extra paycheck so I can kick start the tank into a cycle with the extra money. I'm not a wealthy person and want to make it clear that this tank is a real commitment. I will be trimming up the budget pretty tight to make this goal. No fast food, no video games, no date nights, etc. I will also be putting in overtime at work whenever I can. Lucky for me, the wife enjoys this nearly as much as I do so she's on board 100%, at least that what she tells me.

October - Purchase pumps, salt, bio blocks, bacteria, and Coraline seed. Get water in the tank and cycle started via dosing Ammonia. No fish.
November - Skimmer. Light fish stock towards the end of the month.
December - Lights. Adding a tang or two.
January - Apex modules (flow and leak). Dosing pumps. Corals!
February - Misc, anything needed to finish up the build.

Problems/Concerns

I'll go into this in more detail at a later date but this tank will weigh approximately 3000 lbs and I'm not confident the floor can support the weight.

Nice build..following.

Even i am going with the same Cade model for my new build which would be around March 2022, once the house interior work is done

Most of the equipments are sorted/ordered. I am opting for the brands those have distributors in my country. We do not have a huge range like the US or the Europe, but still decent stuff we get. So just trying to do my bit in supporting the distributors.

Cade S21500 already sitting in the warehouse. Much earlier than expected.

For the refugium, i am still doing my study and not sure what to do /where to put.
Unfortunately, the section specified by Cade is not very practical in terms of the space and future maintenance .
Removing the baffle and dedicating the entire section for refugium means looking for options for skimmer.

For now i can think of two options:
1. Have a cheato reactor (Tunze mar 3182), will give a clean sump but an expensive option.

2. Put a teeth etched glass/acrylic pane perpendicular to the black baffle after giving enough space for the skimmer placement/removal /maintenance.

This mean theoretically half the water from the overflow will go thru the refugium and skimmer and some directly into the skimmer and move ahead.

3. Remove the baffle and use the same concept as in option #2 but now perpendicular to the socks holder glass pane.

With option #2 or #3, will there be any problems with total turn over thru the sump? or some other issues which i cannot foresee?

Attaching a picture of the sump for a quick view
Suggestions/inputs will be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[afternoondelight]

I just bought the Cade 1500 from AlgaeBarn (hasn’t been delivered yet) and so far the experience with them has been fantastic…great customer service! I am busting my butt trying to get some of the background stuff done to have my saltwater mixing station completed and a lot of the the behind-the-scenes stuff done so that when I get the aquarium delivered I can get it installed and up and running as soon as possible. Any of you Cade 1500 owners that want to give out a newbie some helpful hints as to what skimmer and roller you are running (and why) would be much-appreciated!
From what I’ve read, the ClariSea SK-5000 fits without any mods and works well.

What do you Cade 1500 owners out there like for lights? I’m all over the place, but want to do it right THE FIRST TIME.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Any updates?

 

[afternoondelight]

So today I made a big order!
2x MP40
2x Radion XR15 (3rd is on current tank)
2x Radion Mounts
1x Maxspect Skimmer
1x 300w Titainium Heater (200w on current tank will transfer)
1x InkBird Hester controller

Exciting stuff. This should cover all of the basics and get fish in the tank by the end of the month.

I am currently in the gigantic money-hole phase of my Cade 1500 S2 build so I know EXACTLY how you felt on the day you placed this large order...lol! Great thread...thanks for the very thorough posts.

 

[afternoondelight]

Nice build..following.

Even i am going with the same Cade model for my new build which would be around March 2022, once the house interior work is done

Most of the equipments are sorted/ordered. I am opting for the brands those have distributors in my country. We do not have a huge range like the US or the Europe, but still decent stuff we get. So just trying to do my bit in supporting the distributors.

Cade S21500 already sitting in the warehouse. Much earlier than expected.

For the refugium, i am still doing my study and not sure what to do /where to put.
Unfortunately, the section specified by Cade is not very practical in terms of the space and future maintenance .
Removing the baffle and dedicating the entire section for refugium means looking for options for skimmer.

For now i can think of two options:
1. Have a cheato reactor (Tunze mar 3182), will give a clean sump but an expensive option.

2. Put a teeth etched glass/acrylic pane perpendicular to the black baffle after giving enough space for the skimmer placement/removal /maintenance.

This mean theoretically half the water from the overflow will go thru the refugium and skimmer and some directly into the skimmer and move ahead.

3. Remove the baffle and use the same concept as in option #2 but now perpendicular to the socks holder glass pane.

With option #2 or #3, will there be any problems with total turn over thru the sump? or some other issues which i cannot foresee?

Attaching a picture of the sump for a quick view
Suggestions/inputs will be appreciated.

Thanks.

I am asking myself the same questions (regarding the sump and refugium space). I believe I am going to forgo the refugium and get an algae reactor or scrubber later (if needed). Between my ClariSea roller filter and my UltraReef Typhoon 200, there's not a lot of space left in there!